23 soldiers arrested for false positives

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Twenty-three Colombian soldiers were arrested for the murder of five civilians, later presented as presumed paramilitaries, committed in 2006 in Ibague in central Colombia.

The soldiers claimed there had been a confrontation but forensic evidence proved that the men died in a defenseless state. One of the most resounding pieces of evidence was that one victim was found with a gun in his right hand but he was left handed, El Espectador reported Thursday.

Investigators also managed to prove that the soldiers’ claim – that the victims had initiated gunfire from their vehicle and the soldiers had responded – was false, because the victims’ car had no evidence of bullet impacts.

Due to the fact that the incident happened in 2006, the prosecutor will have 180 days to reevaluate and strength the exisiting evidence.

The army indicated that the soldiers will not appeal the charges.

‘False positive’ is the term used in Colombia for civilian murders carried out by members of the armed forces and presented as guerrillas killed in combat.